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You don't need a copy to install winxp in your laptop. You need the key of your genuin winxp. If you had a genuin MS winxp OS earlier, find the key. Write it down in a paper. Now use any winxp cd to install and type your key (genuin winxp). You are just fine. This is as good as your previous genuin winxp.
If you need it only to boot then create a recovery disk from from your friend's winxp machine. Use it for booting.

Try to re-install 2 Operating systems use this order,1,Install windows XP by booting the XP cd,2,and then install Win 7 by booting from Win 7 cd.Then while you restart computer there will be a prompt menu asking to select OS to start. Thanks

Have you tried booting the system with the restore disk, well it should reformat the system before it installs a fresh copy of windows 98 so you should back-up data before proceeding and check the boot sequence in your bios, set the first boot device to CD/DVD.

do you see an error message at some point?
describe in which part specifically your computer restart?
what were you doing last before the computer started acting up on you?

it may be a driver problem:
have you tried to restart in safe mode?.. after the post sequence press f8 and start the computer in safemode. there are other options you may want to try from the advance startup menu that comes up when pressing f8. if you are able to start the computer in safemode your problem most likely is with a driver.

did you install new hardware?
try uninstalling the new hardware and restart the computer to see if that solves the problem

you may have a problem with some configuration files or booting files...
try to restart your computer with a windows 98 boot disk. first download the disk from http://www.bootdisk.com/ and make a floppy disk as directed. then get into the cmos/bios of your computer and make sure your first booting device is your floppy drive, then put your newly made win 98 boot disk in the floppy drive and restart your computer. at the prompt type c: then enter then type win

hi wtm78 this is nichu,
it is impossible to install win 98 after installing xp,if you want to install win98 you must remove the winxp and then first install win98 and later you can install winxp,
basically it is impossible to install a lower order software when xp is already installed,in your case it is the same
there will be no things like dual boot or anything ,after booting your system asks whether you want to work with win98 or winxp.
be cool.